


A Brief Conversation

by teasugarsalt



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Asra just really loves his friends okay, Awkward Conversations, Book XVI: The Tower (The Arcana), Gap Filler, Gen, Muriel Route (The Arcana), no jealousy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:13:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24233386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teasugarsalt/pseuds/teasugarsalt
Summary: This is a five am exorcism of a headcanon that wouldn't let me sleep. Apprentice uses she/her pronouns. Past Apprentice/Asra mentioned, future Apprentice/Muriel/Asra if you squint.
Relationships: Asra & Muriel (The Arcana)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	A Brief Conversation

Asra found Muriel behind the woodpile, fending off a panic attack while ducking the small crowd of terrified revelers turned refugees setting up camp in the woods around his hut. Asra leaned casually against the stacked logs and waited in silence for Muriel’s breathing to slow down to normal and stay there for a minute before he even tried to speak to his oldest friend.

“So,” Asra broke the silence, “You and her, hm?”

“Is this really the time?” Muriel rumbled, scowling up at the magician in a very familiar way.

“It’s literally the first chance I’ve had to talk to you alone since the two of you got back. And the last chance I may get in…” Asra waved vaguely in the direction of the loudest noises, indicating the incipient end of Muriel’s privacy for the foreseeable future. “Our friendship matters. This is a big deal. We should talk.”

Muriel grimaced and rose to his feet. He paused on the brink of a superfluous ‘do we have to’ before switching to, “I’m sorry. Kind of? Is that what you’re looking for?”

“No.” Asra smiled, eyes twinkling warmly, and he shook his head hard enough to make his white curls bounce. “Not at all. That’s why I needed to talk to you. I’m so happy for you both. No, really!” Asra responded earnestly to Muriel’s incredulous gaze. “You both deserve good things, and you both are good things. The best things I’ve got in my life.”

“But you, and she, before...I thought you’d want that back. That you’d want  _ her _ back.” Muriel bit back whatever he was going to say next, deciding for once not to make the case against himself. “I mean, if so,” he shrugged, and blushed, “...tough luck.”

Asra grinned openly at this, eyes widening with delight, “Was that a hint of self advocacy I just heard?” He giggled, touching Muriel’s crossed arms lightly in reassurance. “I don’t think you quite understand what she and I were together, before. You and she, you’re my best friends. You two are the ones who keep me grounded, who keep me here in this world at all. It really doesn’t matter if I’m sleeping with either one of you. That kind of thing is fun, but it’s not what I’m showing up for. You two have my heart.” By now Asra’s expression was entirely serious, his eyes soft but searching.

“Oh,” Muriel understated.

“Yeah, oh. So don’t apologize, and don’t try to avoid me. Or I’ll be sad, and it will be  _ all your fault _ .” Asra tried giving Muriel wide, wounded puppy-dog eyes, but couldn’t keep them from crinkling up in the corners as he completely failed to lay on a serious guilt trip. Muriel gave his slow, subtle smile in return, breathing slightly harder out his nose in what passed for his usual laugh.

“Good. That’s...good. So, um.” Muriel looked out at the trees awkwardly, “Is this where we hug?” His arms forgot where to put themselves.

“This is definitely where we hug,” Asra said firmly, wrapping his arms around the large man and burying his face in his chest. After a moment, Muriel, whose idea this was, returned the hug, harder and longer than either of them expected him to. After a minute, though, his arms loosened slightly as a thought occurred to him.

“Wait...either of us?”

Asra pulled back just enough to smirk unrepentantly at Muriel. “It was always an option. You just never expressed any interest.”

Muriel’s face betrayed a profound confusion as he stood silently, processing or failing to process what had just been implied. Then he stepped back and pressed the pointer fingers of each hand into his forehead and sighed.

“Asra. Dearest friend. Please. Today I have schemed. I have danced. I have mingled. I have spoken with the dead. I have lost the Hermit’s gift. My worst enemy took over Vesuvia and is probably a demigod. There is a tent city in my yard. There is a countess in my hut. And my color,” he gestured, appalled, down at his Masquerade finery, “is  _ teal _ . And now, I have been...retroactively propositioned by...” Muriel shot Asra his most stern and dubious look, gesturing with pointed fingers to emphasize each word, “You will understand. When I tell you. Nothing. Else. Is allowed. To happen. Today.”

Asra was covering his mouth to keep the giggles in, but his shoulders were shaking and it was clear he was about to lose the battle. Just then, a high, plaintive voice sounded from the clearing around front.

“Oh no! Oh woe! A wolf is tasting Volta! In a stroke of delicious irony, the devourer shall become the devoured! Oh dear! Oh help!”

Asra clapped Muriel on the shoulder sympathetically and turned to go. “I’ll go introduce Inanna to Volta. You need a minute.” Muriel’s eyes went from stony to relieved and he sagged against the stacked logs.

“Yes. Good. Please.”


End file.
